Reasons Not to Eat Out on Valentine’s Day Sound a Lot Like Reasons Not to Eat Brunch

February 12, 2010

Andrew Knowlton’s list of the top five reasons why you shouldn’t eat out on Valentine’s Day is an utterly sensible one. There’s nothing to disagree with, but the uncanny thing is that if you substitute “brunch” for “Valentine’s Day,” almost the entirety of the list would still apply.

Knowlton’s reasons for abstaining from Valentine’s Day dining: miserable staff, mediocre food, overcrowding, inflation, and amateur night — i.e. too many restaurant novices. All of which sound a lot like reasons to avoid brunch at the vast majority of restaurants.

Is waiting endlessly for a plate of overpriced eggs cooked by a grouchy chef and served by a harried waitstaff really all that different than fighting the amorous crowds for a “special” prix-fixe meal? All evidence points to no, not really. But just as neither Valentine’s Day nor brunch are going anywhere, neither, fortunately, is the opportunity to whip out a saute pan to make something special — or even just comfortingly mundane — in the comfort of your own home.